Flood watch to remain in effect through today

September 18, 2012

The rain will go away - or at least begin to taper off - by this afternoon.

The National Weather Service in Charleston issued a flood watch Monday afternoon for Randolph, Upshur, Barbour, Lewis and Pocahontas counties - in addition to counties in southern West Virginia, Northeast Kentucky and southeastern Virginia. The watch will remain in effect through this afternoon.

Katie Garrett, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said a cold front is the culprit.

"It looks like the front is going to be pretty fast moving," Garrett said Monday evening.

"If the front slows down, the rain could last a little longer, but I don't think that's going to be the case. It should be a fast-moving event."

While central West Virginia is likely to see about 2.5 inches of rainfall, southern sections of the state could be pummelled by 3 inches, Garrett said.

"You're going to see some pretty heavy rain," she said. "Pretty much the entire state of West Virginia is going to see some rainfall."

Though less severe than a flood warning, a flood watch means conditions are such that flooding could occur in some areas within the next 24 to 48 hours, Garrett said. According to the NWS's website, a developing low-pressure system could usher in severe weather across much of the East Coast.

However, the NWS is predicting mostly sunny skies will blanket Elkins Wednesday, with a high temperature of 64 degrees.